1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pet leashes, and more particularly to an illuminated, retractable pet leash.
2. Description of the Related Art
Retractable leashes for pets are well known. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0029388, published in February 2003, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0145803, published in August 2003, both disclose a housing having a spring-biased spooling assembly for automatically taking up the slack in the leash. Similarly, illuminated pet leashes have also been available for several years. Not only do they increase the safety of both the pet and the owner when walking at night, but also present an attractive ornamental appearance. In addition, retractable leashes that extend the length of the leash and then retract, taking up the slack as the length is shortened, have also been available.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,095, issued to K. Greeves in October 1999, discloses a leash having a relatively flat and flexible light source provided along one side of the leash for illuminating the leash. The leash is a strap made from leather, plastic, nylon, or other similar material. The light source is preferably at least one strip of electroluminescent material attached to one or both sides of the strap by C-clips, hook and loop fasteners, etc., or is embedded into the strap. The electroluminescent material is powered by a battery and inverter, the power source being either permanently or temporarily attached to the strap. A second embodiment incorporates electroluminescent material to, illuminate the handle portion of a leash retractor, but does not incorporate means to illuminate the leash itself. Greves does not show or suggest a retractable illuminated leash, nor does Greves show or suggest that the leash may be made from electroluminescent wire itself, without a supporting strap of leather, plastic, nylon or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,692, issued to Kuhnsman et al. in April 1985, discloses an illuminated pet leash comprising a non-opaque tube that contains one or more bundles of optical fibers. A light bulb is connected adjacent to the leash handle to shine light into the tube and illuminate the optical fibers in the tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,552, issued to James Hayden in December 1989, discloses an electrically lighted pet leash that is composed of a transparent, flexible tube containing a string of small electric light bulbs mounted in parallel between two insulated wires. The leash is looped at one end to form a choker collar and at a second end to form a handle. The string of lights extends throughout the leash to illuminate both the collar and the handle. A small rechargeable battery is mounted adjacent to the handle for operating the lights.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,807, issued to Russell Keeler in December 1998, discloses an illuminated leash for allowing a pet owner to easily and remotely locate the pet leash. The device includes an encoding/transmitting device for encoding and transmitting output signals, an elongated non-opaque tube having a bundle of optical fibers longitudinally disposed therein, a housing, a receiving/decoding device disposed within the housing for receiving and decoding the output signals from the transmitter and a light source disposed in the housing adjusted to illuminate the bundle of fibers.
The related art does not describe or suggest incorporating an illuminated, retractable leash within a leash retractor housing. Rather, the related art has been directed towards illuminated handles. In addition to the '095 patent heretofore discussed, U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,044, issued to Nassar, Jr. et al. in September 1996, discloses an illuminated dog leash handle and U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,550, issued to Anthony H. Levine, in May 1999, discloses a combined retractable pet leash and flashlight.
Although less relevant to the present invention, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/406,448, filed Apr. 4, 2003 by G. Woodruff, discloses a portable light spool system adapted to store and dispense electro-luminescent wire. The light system comprises a housing containing a rotatably mounted cylindrical hub around which the wire is wound. The cylindrical hub is hollow and is adapted to accommodate a battery and inverter. A switch disposed on the hub is operative to impress the high frequency A.C. output voltage of the inverter upon the electroluminescent wire.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus an illuminated leash retractor solving the aforementioned problems is desired.